Citizen initiative reports COVID in Maple Ridge schools

Two Maple Ridge elementary schools have exposures to cases of COVID-19, according to a group of parents who are keeping track of cases in schools across the province.

The BC School Covid Tracker lists three exposures at Kanaka Creek Elementary, and another two cases at Whonnock Elementary.

𝐁𝐂 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 September 13 2021, 10:48pm
⭐️17 Added today!
School Exposure Events for 2021-2022 school year: 40
Schools Affected this year: 36 pic.twitter.com/YwiFfNKeBK

— BC School Covid Tracker (@BCschoolCovid) September 14, 2021

The BC School Covid Tracker is a citizen initiative, run by two mothers, who say they want transparency about schools affected by COVID-19 in the province. They compile the information, and make it public.

The Kanaka Creek elementary exposure dates are Sept. 7, 8, and 9, and parents were notified on Monday. The Whonnock exposures were on Sept. 8, 9, and 10, and parents were notified on Tuesday.

All of the cases in their database have been confirmed by official public health letter, school letters or from the BC Centre for Disease Control website. These are being shared with the BC School Covid Tracker through social media. There are emails from Fraser Health to parents that were used to confirm the Maple Ridge expsures.

This year, Fraser Health will not be notifying the general public about exposure events on their website, as they have in the past, but will list school outbreaks. As of the end of day Tuesday, the health authority was reporting no outbreaks in the region.

So far there have been 40 exposure events at 36 different schools reported this year.

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